Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus



3 Sheets-Sheet R. MUNNERLEY MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 23. 1928 l u m 42 INvENToR.

' REUBEN MUNNERLEY.

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MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 25. 1928 3 sheepsrsheet 5 INVE NTOR'.

REUBEN MUNNERLEY.

.BYATTY:

WWW/( Patented Dec. 17, 192% UNrrEo sra'rss REUBEN MUNNERLEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA MAIL-BAG OATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS Application filed August 23, 1928.

This invention relates to mailbag catching and delivering apparatus, adapted for receiving and delivering mail bags to and from a fast moving train running in either direction.

The objects are to provide apparatus of simple construction, having new and novel arrangement of parts, whereby mail bags may be taken up by a fast moving train without injury to the contents of the bag, and to provide other elements whereby a mail bag may be delivered to the catcher without injury to the bag or its contents.

Another object is to provide means for cushioning the blow of the mail bag upon the receiving apparatus, and to provide such cush oning means whereby full or empty, and light and heavy bags are handled with equal facility.

Other objects are to provide apparatus capable of handling ordinary bags, and to provide mechanism that may be reversed for receiving and delivering mail bags to and from a moving train running in either direction.

Another object is to provide means for sup porting mail bags of the ordinary construction, whereby they may be caught by the catching apparatus, and to support a mail bag by its neck, and to provide means for supporting the bottom of the bag, and to place the bag under a light tension when in suspended position.

To attain these objects, I provide a supporting standard, two arms projecting there from, a brace to place the arms under tension, clamping means disposed on the extremities of said arms, and suitable receiving apparatus mounted on the railway mail car.

I provide receiving apparatus embodying a pair of supporting shafts fixed to the railway car, a reciprocatory member mounted to slide upon the supporting shafts, shock-absorbing elements cooperating with the reciprocatorv member, supporting brackets mount ed on the reciprocatory member, and a bagcatching basket carried by the said supporting Serial No. 301,510.

brackets. The drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the apparatus which I have so far found to be the most practical for accomplishing the objects of the invention; the apparatus comprehending elements and features possessing advantages in point of convenience, safety, case of operation effectiveness and general efficiency.

In carrying out the invention, I prefer to construct the movable parts, excepting the springs which are of steel, of an aluminum alloy, known under the trade name of Duralin, which is very light and as strong as steel, or construct of heavy wire.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved bag-catching device as applied adjacent to the doorway of a railway mail car. Fig. 2 is a top plan and sectional view of the bag-catching device, and shows the recoil spring housings in section. Fig. 3 is a plan and sectional view of a bag.- catching basket, showing the entrapping covers in closed position. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary and detail view of a basket, showing the hinge elements which serve to maintain the covers in open and closed positions. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a bag-catching basket, showing the entrapping covers in closed position. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the hinge supporting bracket, and shows the studs for attaching the basket thereto. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a railway mail car, and shows the present apparatus applied thereto, and about to take up a mail bag, and the arrow showing direction of travel of the mail car. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a mail-bag delivering device. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a bagdelivering device. Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of a clip for supporting the 85 bag. Fig. 11 is an enlarged and detail side view of a clip for supporting the mail bag. Fig. 12 is a detail view of a brace member adapted for tensioning the suspended mail bag. Fig. 13 is a front elevation of a locking 90 sleeve adapted for maintaining a basket cover in open or closed positions. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the locking sleeve.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the main bag catching elements consist ofsupporting bars 21, adapted to be fixed to the railway car 22, adjacent to the doorway 23, thereof. The reciprocatory members 24, connected by vertical shaft 25, are slidingly mounted on bars 21. A supporting bracket 26 is pivotally mounted on vertical shaft 25, and has projecting studs 27 and 28, cooperating with an intermediate stud 29 to support a catcher or basket hereinafter set forth. Studs 30 and 31,-cooperate with stud 29 to support the basket in reverse posit-ion. To lock the bracket 26 in operative and extended position, I provide the tri-angular brackets 32 and 33, adapted to engage with projecting studs .27 .and.28,-or 30-and 31, in accordance with the position of the receiving basket. Reciprocatory members 34, are mounted on the extremities ofsupporting rods 21, and are connected by a vertical shaft 35, having thereon the slidable sleeves 3b.v The triangular brackets32,areconnected by hinge elements 37, with the lowermost slidable sleeves-36. The tri-angular brackets 33, are connected by hinge members 38, with the uppermostslidable sleeves 39. The brackets are :slidable upwardly to disengage them from the projecting studs, andare limited in their downward sliding movement by fixed collars 40,;and 41, on said vertical shafts 35. In inoperative position, the angular-shaped brackets will fold downwardly, as shown in .Fig. 7.

For catching:arsuspended mai bag, I provide-a basket 42, having slots 43, in the top and bottom ends 44,.anda centrally disposed .recoil pad 45, preferably of rubber, on the inside of the basket. On the back of the basket, I provi;de loops 46, adapted to engage with projecting studs 29, and loops 47,.adaptedto engage with projecting studs 27, to hold .the basket in one receiving position, and

loops 48, adapted to engage with projecting studs 28, to hold thebasketin the reverse receiving'position. The basket is'suspended on these projecting studs, and is readily removable for reversing itsoperativereceivin position. The basket is ,provided with entrapping covers 49, having integral trip portions 50. Trip members 50 receive the initial im- "pact of theme-11 bag, andareactuated whereby thecovers are moved to closed position.

Spring latches 51 lock the covers in closed position, thereby preventing the entrapped mailbag from leaving athebasket. Referring to Fig. '4, the'outerm'ost hinge knuckles 52, of the cover, are provided with notches Sleeves;54,have corresponding projections 55 adapted to engage with said notches to hold the covers in closed position. Sleeves 54 have inner pro ections 56, slidmg in grooves 57, on the pintle members 58, and springs 59 are interposed between the basket knuckle members 60, and sleeves 54. Covers 49 are therefore held in either open or closed position, by springs 59, in addition to the retaining means afforded by spring latch members 51.

I provide shock-absorbing elements effective for retarding the basket after it has taken a mail bag. The reciprocatory members 24, slidable on bars 21, and the shaft 25 connecting members 24, are retarded in either direction of recoil movement. Springs 61, 62 and 63, being of different tensions and ranging from light resista ice in the innermost housings to intermediate resistance in housings 65, and heavy resistance in housings 56, check the recoil movement of the supporting bracket, the receiving basket thereon, and the mail bag within the receiving basket. The Weakest spring is the first to be compressed, and when fully compressed, is protected by the housing which encases it. Any desired number of stop springs may be provided, by extending the length of the supporting bars 21 and employing more spring housings.

For supporting a mail bag to be taken by the receiving basket, I provide a standard 6'4", having thereon the collapsible arms 68, on the extremities of which are mounted spring-actuated clip members 69, which are revolubly mounted and actuated by springs 70.v A brace 71 may be employed to secure a tension on the suspended mail bag '22, carried by the clips. Brace '21, has a forked end 73, slidable on the lowermost supporting arm, and is connected to the uppermost arm by a pivot 74. The slots provided in the receiving basket have reinforced edges 75.

The receiving elements are capable of catching mail bags of any size and weight in accordance with their dimensions and strength of construction.

If constructed in suitable sizes, the apparatus is adaptable for games, for use as toys, and for analogous purposes.

In use, the mail bag is suspended from the supporting standard. It may be suspended as shown, or may be reversed with the neck of the bag at the bottom if desired. The bracket is then turned to its outermost position, and is locked in receiving position by means of the angular bracket, which also supports the basket against the impact of the. mail bag. The basket is aiiixed on its supporting studs, with the covers disposed in open position. As soon as the bag is thrust against the trip members, the covers are ac tuatcd to closed position, being retained by the springs within the hinge joints, and by the spring latches, in closed position. The compressibn springs take up the recoil, and :tinally overcome the i'noment-l-in'i of the mail ba The basket returns to its central position. The mail operator then lifts up on the locking brackets, porting bracket with attached basket, into the railway car.

and then swings the sup- What is claimed is:

1..Ii1 a mail-bag receiving apparatus, the combination with supporting bars positioned horizontally on a railway car and adjacent to a doorway, of reciprocatory members each mounted on a supporting bar, a vertical shaft connecting the reciprocatory members and moving synchronously with their reciprocatory movement, a series of stop-springs coiled upon the supporting bars and retarding movement of the reciprocatory members in either direction, a supporting bracket mounted on the said vertical shaft, a brace member serving to lock the supporting bracket when extended to its outermost position, and a mail bag receiving basket mounted on the supporting bracket.

2. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with supporting bars positioned horizontally on a railway car and adjacent to a doorway therein, of reciprocatory members each mounted on a supporting bar, a vertical shaft connecting the reciprocatory members and moving synchronously with their reciprocatory movement, abutments carrying said supporting bars, a series of coiled stop springs mounted on the supporting bars and interposed between the reciprocatory member and corresponding abutments, said springs being of different degrees of compressive resiliency, whereby to retard the movement of the reciprocatory members in either direction, a supporting bracket mounted on the vertical shaft, and adapted to swing to an outermost position extending from the railway car, a

mail bag receiving basket mounted on the supporting bracket, and means for locking the supporting bracket in its extended and operative position.

3. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with supporting bars positioned horizontally on a railway car adjacent to a doorway therein, and abutments carrying the supporting bars, of reciprocatory elements mounted on the supporting bars, resilient elements interposed between the reciprocatory elements and said abutments, and bag-catching elements carried by the reciprocatory elements.

4. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with abutments fixed adjacent to the doorway of a railway mail car, and

supporting bars mounted in the abutments and extending longitudinally on the car, of reciprocatory elements mounted on the supporting bars, resilient elements interposed between the abutments and the reciprocatory elements, whereby to retard movement of the reeiprocatory elements in either direction, and a bag-catching basket mounted on the reciprocatory elements and reversible in position for receiving a mail bag from either direction.

5. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with abutments fixed to a railway car and adjacent to the doorway thereof, and supporting bars horizontally disposed and mounted in said abutments, of reciprocatory elements mounted on the supporting bars, resilient elements interposed between the abutments and reciprocatory elements, supporting elements pivotally connected to the reciprocatory elements, and adapted to swing outwardly to operative position, means for locking the'supporting elements in their operative position, and a bag-catching basket mounted on the said supporting elements, said basket being reversible to catch a mail bag from either direction.

6. In a mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with abutments fixed to a rail- 35 way car and'adj acent to the doorway thereof, and supporting bars fixed to said abutments and. extending horizontally along the car, of reciprocatory elements operatively mounted on the supporting bars, resilient elements arranged upon said supporting bars, and interposed between the reciprocatory elements and the abutments, supporting elements pivotally connected to the reciprocatory elements, locking elements serving to maintain the saidtflfi supporting elements in operative position, and bag-catching elements carried by the supporting elements.

7. In mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with supporting means adapted-E to be extended from a railway car, and collapsible locking elements adapted to main tain the supporting meansin operative extended position,'of a bag-receiving basket carried by the supporting means, spring-ac- -.105 tuated covers for the basket, and trip elements integral with the covers and actuated by the impact of the mail bag thereon, whereby the covers are actuated to closed position.

8. In mail bag receiving'apparatus, 'theiillo combination with supporting means adapted to be extended from a railway car to an operative position, of a bagreceiving basket carried by the supporting means, covers for the basket hingedly connected thereto, tript members integral with the covers,and projecting inwardly to receive the impact of a mail bag thereon, whereby the covers are actuated to closed position, and latch members to retain the covers in closed position.

9. In mail bag receiving and delivering apparatus, the combination with supporting means adapted to be extended from a railway car to an operative position, of a mail bag receiving basket mounted on the supporting means, covers for the basket, trip arms in- 'tegral with the covers and adapted to receive spring latches serving to lock the covers to --l gether in closed position, pintle members whereby the covers are hingedly connected to the basket, notched knuckle members integral with the covers, sleeve members slidable on the pintle members, projections on the slidable sleeve members adapted to engage with the corresponding notches on said knuckle members of the cover, whereby to hold the covers in open or closed positions, and coiled springs disposed between said sliding sleeve members and the basket knuckle members.

10. In mail bag receiving and delivering 11. In mail bag receiving and delivering apparatus, the combination with means for receiving the bag mounted on a railway car, including a bag-receiving basket, of a resilient pad Within the basket to receive the impact of the bag thereon, and stop springs arranged to retard the impact movement of the basket and other receiving means.

12. In mail bag receiving and delivering apparatus, the combination with means for supporting a mail bag in a delivering position, of abutments fixed on a railway car, supporting bars fixed to the abutments, reciprocatory members mounted on thesupporting bars, a shaft connecting the reeiprocatory .members, a supporting bracket pivotally mounted on the vertical shaft, studs fixed to and projecting upwardly from the supporting bracket, a bag-receiving basket detachably mounted on said studs, said basket being reversible in position for receiving a mail bag from either direction, other reeiprocatory members mounted on the extremities of the said supporting bars, including vertical connecting shafts, resilient elements mounted on the supporting bars and interposed between the first-named reciprocatory members and the adjacent abutments, and brackets connected to the last-named reeiprocatory members, and engaging with the remaining projecting studs, whereby to lock-the basket in its receiving position, the said locking brackets moving synchronously with the movement of the receiving basket.

' 13. In "mail bag receiving apparatus, the combination with supporting bars positioned horizontally on a railway car adjacent to a doorway therein, and abutmentscarrying the V supporting bars, of reeiprocatory elements mounted on the supporting bars, resilient elements interposed between the said reciprocatory elements and the abutments, a swinging bracket mounted on the reciprocatory elements, a bag receiving basket mounted on the bracket, and locking members maintaining the swinging bracket in its extended and operative position.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afliX my signature.

REUBEN MUNNERLEY. 

